


Warmth

by FleetofShippyShips



Series: Making Malfoy Blush [10]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Background Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter - Freeform, F/F, HP: EWE, Hogwarts Eighth Year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-20 21:48:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10671447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetofShippyShips/pseuds/FleetofShippyShips
Summary: Pansy pulls a stunt for Slytherin Eighth-Year Game night that aggravates Parvati.(Can be read completely separately from the Making Malfoy Blush series, written so that it can stand alone)





	Warmth

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone who is curious, the following excerpt from 'Board Games and Rude Awakenings' is the only mention of the two of them in the Making Malfoy Blush series, so you can see that you aren't missing anything if you don't read the others first.
> 
>  
> 
> _“Pansy is going to win,” Tracey said, breaking the tension. “She’s got that flirtation going on with Parvati. She’ll be in and out of Gryffindor long before Blaise manages to get into Hufflepuff.”_  
>  _Draco snorted, but Harry whipped his head around. “She what?”_  
>  _“You didn’t know?” Draco asked, sounding gleeful. “Merlin. She’s only been spending every free moment with her for the last few weeks. I heard they were snogging among the back shelves of the library yesterday.”_

“Parkinson!”

Pansy jerked at the sound of her name, almost spilling the contents of her bag all over her desk. Parvati caught her eye, and then nodded her head to the empty seat next to her.

“You owe me for helping you in Herbology last week. You’re partnering with me today.” Parvati’s voice was firm, and she had that glint in her eye. All of the Slytherins knew that glint. The Gryffindor glint. Not to be underestimated. And not to be messed with unless one had a plan, and an escape strategy for when it inevitably went pear-shaped. Bloody Gryffindors.

Gathering herself, and appearing disinterested, she walked slowly over to Parvati, stopping for a moment to compliment Susan’s necklace, and mock Harry for the way he was staring at Draco. When she reached the irritated Gryffindor, all she received was a glare, and then nothing.

As she settled into the seat beside Parvati, she shivered. Parvati was exceptionally gifted at making all around her feel her ire. It was something Pansy had never really noticed about her over the years, but she’d caused it often enough since their eighth year had started, often without knowing exactly how. Although, she knew what she’d done this time.

After the Slytherin Eighth-Year Game Night, she’d been too distracted mocking Harry and Draco for their innocent morning cuddle, and then the kissing they’d caught them at after bursting back into Draco’s room just moments after leaving, that she’d forgotten the rest of the night. She’d won the game because she’d won the challenge with Blaise. Which she’d only won because she’d successfully sneaked into the Gryffindor common room undetected.

When it became clear that the Defence lesson was theoretical, rather than practical, Pansy relaxed slightly. She’d duelled Parvati once before in class, and she’d had bruises for six days afterwards. It was true, she’d worn them like badges of honour, because in the end, she’d bested the Gryffindor, but it had been a tough duel she wasn’t really keen on repeating.

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Tracy and Theo smirking at her from their seats, and scowled. She didn’t bother looking at Blaise. He was still sore over losing the challenge. Although, how he’d expected to sneak into Hufflepuff was beyond her. Davidson and Carson had learnt that lesson years ago, and even though they’d tried to keep it to themselves so they’d have the advantage over their fellow seventh-years, word had spread through all the Slytherins. Each subsequent batch of seventh-years, and now eighth, knew not to attempt entry during games.

“Bragging is beneath you,” Parvati muttered, her eyes on her parchment as she scribbled in shorthand.

Pansy had once asked to borrow her notes, in her first misguided attempt at getting closer to her, only to find they were completely incomprehensible to anyone but the twins.

“I’m a Slytherin, darling,” Pansy replied, eyeing her warily.

Parvati’s temper was hot and fast, and often erupted without warning after only a gentle simmer. It was breath-taking, but Pansy had insulted Parvati’s house-pride with her stunt, and knew to tread carefully. She enjoyed sparking Parvati’s temper at times, but she wasn’t fool enough to spoil all the progress she’d made just for a bit of fun.

Parvati glanced at her, face set in a scornful expression. “Slytherins are the worst braggarts,” she said shortly.

“I use every tool at my disposal to win,” Pansy clarified, dropping her voice to avoid attracting attention. “I wanted to win. Surely you appreciate that desire?”

Parvati’s expression hardened. “I didn’t give you the portrait password so you could sneak in and steal something to impress your friends.”

“I didn’t do it to impress anyone,” Pansy hissed. “I just wanted to win. Harry returned it this morning, didn’t he?”

“That’s not the point!”

Pansy flinched as a thunderclap spell boomed through the room. She wasn’t the only one. Dutifully, she looked at her work, and picked up her quill. She hated that spell. How difficult was it to simply ask them to stop talking?

Parvati didn’t talk for the rest of the lesson. Her cold shoulder made Pansy gnaw at her lip. A disgusting habit. Still, she’d known she’d end up irritating Parvati by using the password for a game, but she hadn’t expected the cold shoulder.

Feeling uncomfortable, she glanced around the room. Blaise shot her a smug look, and she let anger overtake her discomfort. That git. He’d probably been staring at her all lesson, waiting for the chance to make her even more aware of the consequences of her win. He was such a sore loser.

Her mood only soured further. Even the completely blatant flirting between Harry and Draco didn’t cheer her up. Even though Harry had Draco turning a shade of red he hadn’t displayed for a while.

 

* * *

 

After dinner, and after losing Parvati in the crowd leaving at the end, Pansy made her way up to the Gryffindor common room. She wasn’t about to sit around and wait to find out if she’d ruined everything in one fell swoop. It had taken her all summer, and several heated and emotional arguments with her parents, before she’d finally come to terms with who she was and what she wanted.

She wasn’t like Draco, she wasn’t going to let misunderstandings and a ridiculous lack of communication ruin her chances with someone she wanted. If Parvati was now done with her then she could dig deep for her Gryffindor courage and say it to Pansy’s face.

“She’s not in there.”

Whirling around, startled, heart pounding, Pansy had almost cursed Neville before she realised what was going on. Scowling, and straightening out of her defensive posture, she stowed her wand.

“It’s rude to sneak up on people, Longbottom,” she sneered. “Fancy getting hexed, do you? Out of all the Gryffindors, you’re the last person I’d expect to like that sort of thing.”

As always, Neville saw right through her attempt to embarrass him. He never could be distracted away from certain things now. Which was part of why everyone loved him, and he’d made friends with all the eighth-years, whether they’d initially wanted it or not. He was just too damn nice.

“Sorry, Pansy,” he said, rubbing the back of his head. “But you’ve been standing there staring at the portrait for a while.”

Pansy felt her face heat up. “And you’ve been standing there staring at me for the same length of time? I won’t say sorry to disappoint, because we’re all supposed to be turning new leaves and, you know, not lying all the time, but I don’t go for blokes.”

It was like a shivery feeling passed through her entire body, and she felt pinpricks of heat around her face and neck. It was only the third time she’d said that out loud. It wasn’t as hard as the first two. Once to her parents, and implied, rather than repeated, thereafter, and once to her friends. And now to Neville. She felt a bit sick. But she also felt free. Because she was free. Free to choose who to be with. As long as the family name carried on. Her great triumph. After months of fighting.

She straightened her back a bit, unable to mask her pride and defiance, now that she’d moved past that inevitable rush of fear.

“Yeah, me neither,” Neville said with a shrug.

Pansy deflated and squinted at him.

“Weren’t we stating the obvious?” he asked. “Sorry, I can’t always keep up with you Slytherins.”

Snorting, Pansy shook her head at him. “Bloody hell, Longbottom,” she said. “Well executed.”

Neville laughed, and gestured over his shoulder. “She’s in the library.”

“Thanks,” Pansy said over her shoulder, already walking away.

Merlin save her from Neville and his irresistible charm.

 

* * *

 

“Oh, piss off!”

Pansy ignored her, and pushed her books aside. She hoisted herself up, until she was sitting on the table, looking down at Parvati. Forcing Parvati to look up at her. The annoyed, exasperated expression almost made her give up and leave, but she was determined.

“You can’t tell me that Gryffindors have never sneaked into Slytherin before,” she said, folding her arms. “You’re being a tad hypocritical.”

Parvati’s expression went from annoyed to deadly. Pansy shivered. Merlin, she knew that should only frighten her, but it aroused her too, just a bit. Parvati’s fury was a beautiful thing.

“They didn’t use a password given in confidence by someone they were…were…that…”

Pansy felt her own expression soften as Parvati failed to find the words to define them. She didn’t know either. Weeks of Pansy trying and failing to make the motives behind her new attention towards Parvati known. Still so terrified of her own sexuality, even though she’d finally come to terms with it and demanded the dissolution of her betrothal contract over summer. Parvati coming to terms with seeing Pansy as who she was now, and not only what she had been. Their tentative flirtation. Those first, shy kisses in that same library. Well. Shy on Pansy’s part at least. And Merlin, the only thing saving her from utter embarrassment over that was how Draco’s admission of no experience to Harry must have been far more embarrassing than hers.

She didn’t want to give too much ground by grovelling. That wasn’t how they were going to work. She would always use every tool at her disposal when needed. If Parvati didn’t understand that, or accept that, then it was best to get that out in the open.

“I will always use every tool and advantage in my arsenal when needed,” she said slowly. “You should know this about me. I didn’t hurt anyone. I didn’t scare anyone. I only poked my head through the portrait opening for a moment, and grabbed the nearest item. It was just a matter of who could sneak into another common room undetected first. It was about skill and cunning, not invading and mocking another house.”

Parvati’s expression smoothed out a little, as she listened. As Pansy paused, she raised an eyebrow, and relaxed back in her chair. Not explanation enough then. But she hadn’t told Pansy to leave again.

“We always sneak the item we take back in, or leave it in the bag of a house member,” she continued. “We have to get in undetected by students. Otherwise I would have asked you to let me in, rather than use the password.”

“You don’t expect me to believe that,” Parvati snorted. “I would never have let you take something.”

Pansy knew better, but she was unable to stop herself. “You wouldn’t have seen me do it.”

Parvati arched one brow, and shook her head. “You’re so arrogant.” The motion made a strand of hair fall across her face, her plait loosened over the course of the day

Pansy had reached out before she’d thought to stop. She smoothed the strand behind Parvati’s ear, and then brushed her fingertips over her jaw.

“Isn’t using a password cheating?” Parvati asked. Her tone was still several shades cooler than usual, but she didn’t push Pansy’s hand away. “If you’re meant to sneak in?”

Pansy set free the smile tugging at her lips. “Slytherin, darling. There is no such thing as cheating.”

Parvati huffed and rolled her eyes. “I’d only just given you the password.”

Biting her lip again in that disgusting habit, and hating herself for it, Pansy cupped Parvati’s jaw gently, and kept stroking her thumb over her cheek. The library was empty enough, and they were far enough back that it was unlikely anyone would see, but it still sent that initial burst of fear through her. To touch another girl so intimately. Just as she had been so terrified to kiss her, and still partly was. Even though, apparently, everyone already knew they were somehow involved.

Merlin, she hoped they weren’t as obvious as Harry and Draco had been when they’d got started. She’d rather suffer through one of the mind-numbing, soul-sucking competitions to stay aware through one of Slughorn’s self-important speeches to identify the most name-drops.

“I suppose you were expecting me to first use it to sneak in to see you at some scandalous hour,” Pansy joked. Only, it wasn’t a joke. Because she knew that was exactly what Parvati had been hoping for. And it was something she just wasn’t able to do yet.

Parvati sighed, and looked away. The motion dislodged Pansy’s hand, and she let it fall to her knee. It felt cold, and she fought the itch to curl it into a fist.

“Or maybe just come and see me in the common room,” Parvati said. “Or meet me in the morning before breakfast, so we can walk down together. I’m no good in the morning, you’d prefer waiting in the common room than the corridor, trust me.”

Pansy frowned. Parvati had never mentioned wanting any of that.

“It’s so you can pop your head in to see if I’m there, instead of knocking and waiting for someone to open it, and then relay a message, or call for me.”

“Are the others really okay with that?” Pansy asked, fighting the urge to chew her lip again. That would have placed them firmly in the position of dating. That was what couples did.

“They’d learn to live with it,” Parvati said, smirking at her. “We Gryffindors just get on with things. We don’t sit and stew and plot revenge against each other for mere annoyances.”

“Sounds boring,” Pansy said, her heart racing as Parvati stood and rested her hands on Pansy’s knees. Slowly, she nudged them open, so she could stand between her legs, flush against the edge of the table and so, so close to Pansy.

“At least you won, I suppose,” Parvati said, cocking that eyebrow again. It did wonders for her looks. Not that she needed it.

“I always win,” Pansy said automatically, haughtily.

“Don’t use me like that again,” Parvati replied, her tone suddenly much more serious. “I’m not a tool.”

A dozen witty, cutting remarks came to mind, but Pansy swallowed them down. Her pride could suffer in this moment, so that she didn’t ruin things. She was floundering in the dark when it came to what she wanted from Parvati, and how to express it. Years of repressing desire for other girls had her wanting to deny it still, even though she’d finally fought and won that battle with her parents. As long as she kept the family name, at least. The only benefit to her sexuality, in their eyes. That she could keep the name in marriage.

“I never thought of you as a tool,” she said softly. “The password was a tool. And really, I could have got it by other means. And I could have got in by other means.”

“What do you see me as then, Pansy?” Parvati asked, her voice heavy in a way that told Pansy just how long she’d been wanting to ask that question.

Averting her eyes, Pansy felt heat rush to her face and neck. She’d be flushing something awful. Vulnerability made her itch. It made her want to smack herself. Or lash out. Especially weakness displayed to a Gryffindor.

“Because so far, you’ve not made that clear. And I’ve been patient,” Parvati continued. “I listened when you said you hadn’t dated anyone before. I know what you were really saying. So it’s okay if you’re unsure of where we are, and what we are. But you need to be sure that you want me for being me. Otherwise, this is either experimentation, and I’m the only convenient, age-appropriate lesbian in the castle, or this is some rebellion against your parents. I won’t tolerate either of those. I deserve better than that.”

Pansy felt cold, and shivered. She could feel her hackles rise. She could taste words of distraction on her tongue. She swallowed them down again. She’d fought all summer for what she wanted. To live her life as she wanted to. She wanted Parvati. She wasn’t about to let her years of shame and adherence to tradition ruin that.

“There’s nothing to rebel against,” she said, looking back at Parvati, so she’d know she was serious. “I won that battle over summer.”

Parvati was silent, her expression searching. She leaned closer, until her nose bumped Pansy’s and made her frown. She didn’t think kissing was appropriate for this conversation. But it was just a quick brush of lips, and then a hug. She wasn’t expecting the hug.

Being enveloped in warmth that way seemed to make her shiver more. She could smell Parvati’s perfume, and it made her simultaneously soothed and scared. Because she liked the smell. And for so long she’d told herself she shouldn’t. Couldn’t. But now she could, and she snaked her arms around Parvati and returned the embrace.

“I’m happy for you,” Parvati murmured, squeezing her tighter for a moment, before pulling back. “I know that sort of thing is still difficult for certain families.”

“Thank you,” Pansy said awkwardly. Even with all the progress she’d made over summer, telling her friends, and then accidentally telling Neville in a witty comeback, it wasn’t something she felt comfortable discussing. “But it’s not the other thing either. Surely you’ve realised by now, I’m the kind of girl who knows what she wants.”

“And goes after it,” Parvati continued.

Pansy felt her face heat up again. Her early attempts at that had been so embarrassingly inadequate. She’d spent years mastering the art of flirting with boys she had no interest in, and even though such tricks should have been effortless to apply towards a girl, she’d found them to be anything but effortless.

“Slowly,” she said. “With all due caution and cunning.”

“Dating is not a battleground,” Parvati said, but she was leaning closer again. Pansy could hear the amusement in her tone, but fought down the embarrassment and irritation it instinctively sparked in her.

“Have you ever looked in the mirror when you’re angry?” she asked.

Her heart was racing again. Parvati’s hands were resting on her hips, and she could feel their warmth through her clothes as if they were white hot brands. Whenever they were close, she was always so aware of Parvati, and how close she was. It was infuriating that she couldn’t banish the information from her mind.

Parvati’s lips twitched, and then curved into a smug, satisfied smile. Pansy instantly bristled.

“No, but I’ve seen your face when I’m angry,” Parvati said, arching that infuriatingly attractive eyebrow again.

Pansy rolled her eyes. “Of course, because Gryffindor egos aren’t inflated enough already,” she muttered. “Yes, Parvati, you are beautiful when you are angry. Satisfied?”

Parvati laughed, and Pansy was starting to love the way it made her feel. Warm, happy.

“Almost,” Parvati said, shifting one of her hands to cup the side of Pansy’s face. “Can I kiss you?”

Pany’s breath caught in her throat. Simultaneously, she felt terrified, and excited. The end result was the same; her heart was racing. She exhaled slowly. The library was almost empty. They were far enough back. No one would see.

Steeling herself, she forced her thoughts in another direction. Because it didn’t matter anymore if someone saw them. Because she was free.

“If you must,” she said, in her haughtiest tone.

The smile on Parvati’s face was just was warm as the way it made Pansy feel.


End file.
